RSSHere is a holiday wine guide to help simplify the decision-making process for you! Recommendations begin with a variety of red wines, followed by white wines...and, in case you have wine left over from the celebration, food pairings are listed under each wine for future wining and dining ideas!
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "PEE-no NWAHR"Profile of Flavors:
Its flavors are reminiscent of sweet red berries, plums, tomatoes, and cherries. There are points where you can taste a notable earthy or woody flavor depending on specific growing conditions. It will complement almost any Thanksgiving flavor.
Perfect Pairings: The very versatile pinot noir pairs perfectly with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. It plays well with creamy sauces and spicy seasonings, too.
Perfect Pairings: The very versatile pinot noir pairs perfectly with poultry, beef, fish, ham, lamb and pork. It plays well with creamy sauces and spicy seasonings, too.
Proposed Wines:
Rex Goliath Pinot Noir $9.49
Lush and velvety, this pinot noir wine will allow you to savor a red berry perfume with a touch of cinnamon spice, wrapped in a blanket of subtle French oak.
Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir $7.01
This wine's nose has notes of rose water and cherry preserves. Delicate, it starts with fresh strawberry, Bing cherry and finishes with rich plum, light clove and earthy tones.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "ZIN-fan-dell"
Profile of Flavors: Heartier and deeper, its flavors include: raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums, raisins, spice and black pepper all wrapped around various intensities of oak. Balances many traditional side dishes.
Perfect Pairings: Zinfandel pairs well with red or white meat, fish tacos, spicy dishes, or burgers.
Proposed Wines:
Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel $7.99
Fully dry, with some overripe raisin skins and bitter tannins, and enough black currant, coffee, black licorice and plum flavors to satisfy alongside your meal.
Beaulieu Vineyard Zinfandel Coastal Estates $10.87
Aromas reveal strong, black cherry and fresh raspberry accents, with just a hint of anise. It's generously fruity with sappy berry flavors and black pepper to finish. Beaulieu is juicy, well-balanced, and bright.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "see-RAH" / "shih-RAZ"
Profile of Flavors: Rich round flavors are: black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, clove, licorice, dark chocolate and smoked meat. The peppery notes will accent a flavorful helping of stuffing as well as both the white and dark turkey meats.
Perfect Pairings: It's also deliciously delightful with ham, lamb, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, and barbecue foods.
Proposed Wines:
Yellow Tail The Reserve Shiraz $9.89
The Reserve Shiraz reveals aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries, chocolate and mocha with spicy notes. It is medium-bodied and has a soft oak.
D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz $14.99
The Shiraz exhibits aromas of Satsuma plums, cherries and cranberries with dried floral herbs, spice, and chocolate. Red fruit, plums and blueberries with licorice and spice among cedar oak make this palate expressive.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "BOE-zjoh-lay nu-VOE"
Profile of Flavors: A light and fruity red wine, it goes very well with turkey and all of the fixings. Flavors of strawberry and raspberry dominate along with a grape appeal.
Perfect Pairings: This wine is certainly food-friendly. It works well with both light and dark meats, herbs, and many other flavors that are a part of Thanksgiving festivities. This wine will also pair well with grilled or roasted meats, many types of pastas, salads, and cheeses. Serve it chilled!
Proposed Wines:
Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais Nouveau
$9.99
Fruity and opulent, with more power and body than the average Beaujolais. Domaine Madone's grapes are harvested at the peak of their maturity.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau $9.99
Red fruit and flowery aromas make this wine a pleasure to drink. Light on the palate, yet, refined. An enjoyable freshness to add to your seasonal meals.
Rex Goliath Pinot Noir $9.49Lush and velvety, this pinot noir wine will allow you to savor a red berry perfume with a touch of cinnamon spice, wrapped in a blanket of subtle French oak.
Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir $7.01This wine's nose has notes of rose water and cherry preserves. Delicate, it starts with fresh strawberry, Bing cherry and finishes with rich plum, light clove and earthy tones.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "ZIN-fan-dell"Profile of Flavors: Heartier and deeper, its flavors include: raspberry, blackberry, cherry, plums, raisins, spice and black pepper all wrapped around various intensities of oak. Balances many traditional side dishes.
Perfect Pairings: Zinfandel pairs well with red or white meat, fish tacos, spicy dishes, or burgers.
Proposed Wines:
Rancho Zabaco Dancing Bull Zinfandel $7.99Fully dry, with some overripe raisin skins and bitter tannins, and enough black currant, coffee, black licorice and plum flavors to satisfy alongside your meal.
Beaulieu Vineyard Zinfandel Coastal Estates $10.87Aromas reveal strong, black cherry and fresh raspberry accents, with just a hint of anise. It's generously fruity with sappy berry flavors and black pepper to finish. Beaulieu is juicy, well-balanced, and bright.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "see-RAH" / "shih-RAZ"Profile of Flavors: Rich round flavors are: black cherry, blackberry, plum, bell pepper, black pepper, clove, licorice, dark chocolate and smoked meat. The peppery notes will accent a flavorful helping of stuffing as well as both the white and dark turkey meats.
Perfect Pairings: It's also deliciously delightful with ham, lamb, pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, and barbecue foods.
Proposed Wines:
Yellow Tail The Reserve Shiraz $9.89The Reserve Shiraz reveals aromas of ripe cherries, blackberries, chocolate and mocha with spicy notes. It is medium-bodied and has a soft oak.
D'Arenberg Footbolt Shiraz $14.99The Shiraz exhibits aromas of Satsuma plums, cherries and cranberries with dried floral herbs, spice, and chocolate. Red fruit, plums and blueberries with licorice and spice among cedar oak make this palate expressive.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "BOE-zjoh-lay nu-VOE"Profile of Flavors: A light and fruity red wine, it goes very well with turkey and all of the fixings. Flavors of strawberry and raspberry dominate along with a grape appeal.
Perfect Pairings: This wine is certainly food-friendly. It works well with both light and dark meats, herbs, and many other flavors that are a part of Thanksgiving festivities. This wine will also pair well with grilled or roasted meats, many types of pastas, salads, and cheeses. Serve it chilled!
Proposed Wines:
Domaine de la Madone Beaujolais Nouveau
$9.99Fruity and opulent, with more power and body than the average Beaujolais. Domaine Madone's grapes are harvested at the peak of their maturity.
Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau $9.99Red fruit and flowery aromas make this wine a pleasure to drink. Light on the palate, yet, refined. An enjoyable freshness to add to your seasonal meals.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "SO-vin-yawn BLAHNK"
Profile of Flavors: Typically light to medium-bodied, this crisp and refreshing white wine offers a range of earthy flavors
from veggie, grass, hay and mineral tones to citrus and tropical flavor mixes, making it a prime companion for turkey and herb stuffings.
Perfect Pairings: Like Pinot Noir, this wine is very food-friendly. It is great for appetizers like veggie dips; for foods with garlic or Italian seasonings in creamy sauces; for salads like Greek, Caesar or Garden. It's also a good choice for Thai dishes, fish and sushi, and poultry--of course!
Perfect Pairings: Like Pinot Noir, this wine is very food-friendly. It is great for appetizers like veggie dips; for foods with garlic or Italian seasonings in creamy sauces; for salads like Greek, Caesar or Garden. It's also a good choice for Thai dishes, fish and sushi, and poultry--of course!
Proposed Wines:
St. Supery Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley $19.95Starting with ruby grapefruit, nectarine and a shaded aromatic minerality, the palate is bright with lime juice, honeydew melon, and pineapple.
Vina Los Vacos Sauvignon Blanc, $8.98Boxwood and the exotic fruits pineapple and lime, along with minerality and lean elegance, hint at an extraordinary terroir from Chilean foothills.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "vee-yohn-YAY"
Profile of Flavors: This white wine contains low levels of acidity and is typically characterized by light floral flavors often surrounded by delicate touches of peaches and pears. Aromatic varietals with an abundance of fruit, such as this one, pairs well with turkey.
Profile of Flavors: This white wine contains low levels of acidity and is typically characterized by light floral flavors often surrounded by delicate touches of peaches and pears. Aromatic varietals with an abundance of fruit, such as this one, pairs well with turkey.
Perfect Pairings: With floral aromas, sweet-seeming fruit flavors, and rich textures, Viognier is made to complement bold or exotic dishes. It also goes well with cheeses and nuts. Other favorite pairings include: curries, Caribbean dishes, scallops, lobster, crab, and shrimp.
Proposed Wines:
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier California $9.95This Viognier flaunts lush aromas of ruby grapefruit, pear, lychee and melon, with a delicate touch of spicy, white florals. These are offered-up alongside a supple texture.
Bridlewood Viognier Reserve Central Coast $14.95This Viognier has a lovely bouquet of honeysuckle and mandarin orange, accompanied by aromas of honeydew melon, buttered biscuit, and mango. The flavors are a blend of pineapple, apricot, grapefruit, and rich honey.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "REES-ling"Profile of Flavors: Riesling wines can be highly aromatic with pear, peach, and apple at the forefront mixed, with delicate floral undertones, and rich honey and spice on the nose. Rieslings echo the pear, peach and apple along with citrus and tropical flavors on the palate.
Perfect Pairings: A versatile wine, Riesling will accommodate a whole host of challenging flavors and spice profiles. From appetizers to desserts, pork, poultry or shellfish, and virtually anything in between. It can handle the spice and zest of Asian, Mexican and even Moroccan dishes.
Proposed Wines:
Fetzer Riesling Valley Oaks $8.77The flavor profile of this authentic German Riesling boasts abundant apple, pear, and peach combinations with an enticing semi-sweet finish.
Leitz Dragonstone Reisling $13.49Zesty lime, peach, pink grapefruit, and red currant ally themselves to cinnamon spice, salts, and wet stones, and finish with simultaneous penetration and delicacy.
Pronounce it Like a Pro: "ga-VERTZ-trah-MEE-ner"Profile of Flavors: This white wine may present itself as dry or sweet, depending on the style. Flavors include: honey, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, apricot, pear, and rose.
Perfect Pairings: These wines tend to pair well with Asian dishes or zestier meal options like BBQ or chicken wings. The flavor and aromas typically include: rose, pear, citrus, spice and mineral. It has a zest that allows it to pair nicely with spicier side dishes, but it also to pairs well with a variety of desserts.
Proposed Wines:
Fetzer Gewurztraminer Valley Oaks $7.99Delicate fruit flavors like apricot, peach, green apple and a touch of residual sugar--complemented by forward floral aromas and added richness from Muscat--are this wine's hallmarks.
Chateau St. Jean Gewurztraminer $13.99Orange blossoms, ripe grapefruit, and lychee aromas leap from its nose. A medium-bodied entry fills the palate with flavors of jasmine, orange zest, and cantaloupe and leads into a clean, creamy, and long finish.
You May Also Like: More Red Wines | More White Wines | Wine Glasses | Wine Books
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Thank you for your reply
Kelsey
jbre5672@aol.com
Nice work!
Gino L. Filippi
vintner and wine writer
http://www.ginoffvine.wordpress.com
I'm afraid to ask... but here goes... Have you ever tasted rat urine?
Gino